Winter Season

[charlie elk]

Itching for spring?
Not so fast. Wisconsin's winter turkey hunt is in full swing with 41,460 tags still left for over the counter sales. Other than you can buy one tag per day there is no limit on these tags. But keep in mind winter turkey hunting just might be the toughest challenge in the lower 48.

Here is Vic's first winter turkey. Does he have the pose down or what?

[Steve_In]

Vic looks like he is letting you know who is responsible for getting that turkey. Congradulations to both of you.
It would be nice to try sometime. Do a combo icefishing/winter turkey hunt.

[arrowsonly]

Since we have no snow to plow and the bike shop is slow, Eli is in school & Emily is workin' till 3 what's up with this winter season Charlie ?

PS: That is a beautiful dog weather he hunts turkeys or not...

[charlie elk]

Steve, by the time I get a hole big enough for my boat I lose interest in ice fishing.

arrows- in WI we have a second turkey season that opens after gun deer each year and stays open until Dec 31. Almost no one hunts it that is why there are so many tags left for OTC.

Farmers welcome late season turkey hunters because they perceive the turkeys do lots of damage. Plus this gives you the inside track for spring hunting on those farms. I've gained permission to turkey hunt about 6000 acres of private farm land now and in the spring.

[putt]

Congratulations Charlie, & Vic

I was getting close to posting a note asking you how Vic's first season was going. Give us some more details on how his rookie hunts have gone.

And where did you find that snow? Still nothing here in in NE Wisconsin.

Putt

[charlie elk]

And where did you find that snow? Still nothing here in in NE Wisconsin.Putt

We've had a total of 10 inches so far this season, however the temps climbed near 40 with rain and now the snow is gone.
Not having a white backdrop makes it easier to get in close with the turkeys for a break and to hide for the call back.
The rookie year has been very successful not only because several birds were brought to bag; the learning experience for me about how often turkeys hunker down nearby expecting to hide as we moved away (Vic's nose is good, they got flushed). Vic still needs work at holding still on setup for longer than 15 minutes, if in that time I can get the birds coming back in he goes on point while laying keeping him still until they are just entering range. I've learned to shoot a lot faster with no misses on turkeys yet....
He also did very well on pheasants and partridge. Vic understands how to hunt them different than turkeys.
He has a few rough edges to get trained away, he agrees we'll be working on those.
Thinking ahead I'm wondering how I am going to sneak away in turkey gear this spring without Vic in hot pursuit. Mrs. Elk will have her work cut out for her.

[charlie elk]

I received a couple of PMs and responded but there is no send button in my PM so my responses appear to be sitting in the outbox
My responses-
#1.
I don't check PMs very often especially during hunting season when time is premium. It is best just to chat via the forums.
Unfamiliar with Musterlanders.
WI has wild populations of gray partridge (Huns), ruffed grouse, sharptails (by permit drawing), quail and pheasants. We got all but sharpies this year figure if there are so few you have to draw for a permit I would leave them for those who really want em or let the population expand.
I don't have the money or the desire to hunt on game farms.

#2. Concerns a hunting area; thanks for the heads up.